Record High of 8,571 People... Over 10,000 Expected Tomorrow

'Doubling' Phenomenon 2.11 Times Higher on Same Weekday Last Week
Surge Expected from Tomorrow as Weekend Effect Ends

Test Positivity Rate Over 3 Times Higher Compared to Cumulative
Plan to Shift to Omicron Response Phase Within This Month

On the 25th, when the highest number of new COVID-19 cases, 8,571, was recorded, the COVID-19 situation room monitor at Songpa District Office in Seoul displayed figures including confirmed cases and deaths. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As the Omicron COVID-19 variant has become the dominant strain in South Korea, the number of new COVID-19 cases reached an all-time high of 8,571. This is the first time that the number of confirmed cases has exceeded 8,000. If this trend continues, the number of cases is expected to surpass 10,000 on the 26th.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 25th at midnight that the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 8,571. This represents a doubling phenomenon, with cases rising 2.11 times compared to 4,070 cases on the 18th, one week earlier. The Omicron variant, which has been confirmed to be 2 to 3 times more transmissible than the previous Delta variant, is spreading rapidly, accelerating the increase in confirmed cases. The daily increase rate compared to the same day of the previous week has been steepening: 59% on the 22nd, 82% on the 23rd, 95% on the 24th, and 111% on the 25th.

Despite the "weekend effect," where suspected case reports and tests at temporary screening clinics decrease over weekends, the sharp rise on the 24th and the 25th suggests that new cases on the 26th will exceed 10,000. The number of tests conducted, which was 246,824 on the 21st, dropped sharply to 190,032 on the 22nd and 168,496 on the 23rd, then rose again to 263,888 on the 24th. Considering that PCR tests usually take 1 to 2 days to process, it is highly likely that the number of confirmed cases announced on the 26th will surge dramatically.

The proportion of positive cases among those tested is also increasing rapidly. The test positivity rate, which refers to the percentage of positive results among suspected case tests and temporary screening clinic tests, rose from 3.1% on the 23rd to 4.0% on the 24th, and further to 5.1% on the 25th. This is more than three times higher than the cumulative positivity rate of 1.5% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The combination of a recovery in the number of tests and a sharp increase in positivity rate raises concerns about an uncontrollable surge in cases.

However, the medical response capacity, which was strained during previous outbreaks, is currently somewhat more manageable. The number of critically ill patients hospitalized is 392, dropping to the 300s for the first time in 81 days. The cumulative death toll increased by 23 to 6,588, with the cumulative fatality rate falling to 0.88%. As of 5 p.m. the previous day, the intensive care unit bed occupancy rate was stable at 18.9% nationwide and 18.8% in the metropolitan area, both in the 10% range.

Nevertheless, considering that increases in critically ill patients and deaths typically lag behind surges in confirmed cases by 2 to 3 weeks, it is too early to be complacent. In fact, this period may represent the last "golden time" to prevent a rise in severe cases and deaths due to the Omicron surge.

The government plans to transition to an Omicron response phase within this month, taking this situation into account. Starting from the 26th, the isolation period for those confirmed positive after receiving at least two vaccine doses will be reduced to 7 days for both hospitalization and home treatment, and close contacts will only undergo passive monitoring without quarantine. Additionally, restrictions on PCR testing, currently applied only in Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Pyeongtaek and Anseong in Gyeonggi Province, will be expanded nationwide as early as this month as part of the transition in testing and medical systems.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.